Championship points leader Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) completed a perfect weekend by winning the full GP race earlier today in Austria after also winning yesterday’s Sprint race. Finishing second in both races was KTM’s Brad Binder. Third place in the Sprint race went to Jorge Martin (Ducati), while Marco Bezzecchi (Ducati), after setting a new lap record in practice, finished third in the main event earlier today.
In today’s full GP, Binder chased Bagnaia from the first corner of the first lap, but was ultimately unable to hold the winner’s pace and fell off to finish several seconds behind.
Bagnaia’s form looks impeccable at this point, and he has built a sizable points lead in the championship. He now has a 62 point cushion over Martin in second. The riders next race at Catalunya on the weekend beginning September 1.
For full results and points for Saturday’s Sprint race, visit the MotoGP site here.
For full results and points for today’s MotoGP race, visit the MotoGP site here.
from where does the lap time come? the tuner at the track (carruthers/gallina/burgess)? the racer / test rider? the engineers at the factory? roberts/carruthers went well w/ the straight four but struggled w/ the square/v-4’s. JB had the 2-stroke, the v-5 AND the yam straight 4 down, but the ducati baffled him and rossi (and saint nicky). dall’inga seems to understand both the aero and the rider’s needs more than, say, the crews of marquez/quartararo. reminiscent of when jets approach mach 1, the power isn’t the issue.
It’s more competitive than it’s ever been. The different between 1st and last place in a 42 minute race is less than 45s. The difference between Bagnaia’s dominant Ducati and Fabio’s “Slow” Yamaha was less than 20s over the full race distance. The difference from a runaway win and struggling mid pack is 10th’s of a second per lap.
In the 2 stroke days it wasn’t uncommon for the winner to lap riders well into the top-10.
Bagnaia ran away with it, and Binder ran away with second. With a 62-point lead halfway through the season and showing impeccable form, Bagnaia looks to have this locked up. Unfortunately made for a fairly boring race.
The last lap of Moto 3 they showed in the introductory 30 minutes of the broadcast was fantastic, sure wish we had that level of excitement in the main event. And no, I’m not going to start watching Moto2 & Moto3, just don’t have the time or interest (or the VideoPass ;-). But wow that was a great finish.
The race was, very predictably, another snoozefest, with Peco and Ducati doing what they always do in Austria.
More interesting is the news that Bez is staying with Mooney Ducati, opting for loyalty to Valentino over a factory ride with Pramac. This opens the door for fellow VR46 Academy bro Frankie Morbidelli to replace the departed Zarco for that plum ride on the factory 2024 Ducati, with Zarco going off to die a horrible career-ending death at the hands of LCR Honda, replacing the hastily departing Alex Rins, who takes Frankie’s seat at Yamaha.
I suppose the big question then has to be, who gets their shit together first, Honda or Yamaha? Will either monolithic factory be able to provide their riders with something remotely competitive in the near future, and, if so, who will manage it first?
Fabio has made it clear he isn’t long for Yamaha if they don’t make a very abrupt turnaround in very short order, and there is talk of Honda desperately wanting him, but if you’re Fabio…really? Honda? Now? They’re even worse than Yamaha at the moment, so why bother?
If I’m Ducati, I beat everyone to the punch and grab #20 instead of #21 for Zarco’s old Pramac factory seat.
Man, how the mighty have fallen.
Apparently Zorco is looking at retiring in a couple of years and going to Honda will double his income until that time. I don’t blame him one bit.
Fame and glory are temporary. Your retirement stack is forever.
He may need all that money for some artificial limbs.
Oddly, artificial limbs are for people whose limbs are severed from their body. There is VERY little support for people who lose the said limbs from nerve damage but are still there.
Lots of interesting developments for sure. Frankie on a Ducati is enticing. I wonder if he wouldn’t be better served on VR46 and their older bikes. Next year it’ll likely be the well sorted winner of this year’s championship, after all. My understanding is that Pramac is often the factory’s “test team”. Jorge and Zarco have both done well there, though.
Can’t blame Zarco one bit. He was going to be squeezed out of Ducati and he knew it. Honda is reportedly doubling his salary for the last couple of years of his contract. So long as he doesn’t take unnecessary risks trying to wrestle that thing into the next higher position then this was certainly the right move.
The question of how Yamaha and Honda comes back from where they are looms. If they can build Rins another Suzuki, he and FQ will be deadly on it.